20th Century Fox
Directed by Henry King
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Fox Movie Channel)
Unfairly overlooked remake of the 1927 Borzage classic. Jimmy Stewart and Simone Simon are well-matched as the star-crossed lovers in 1919 Paris. Jimmy is a philosopher/sewer worker, giving running commentary on the life "up above" on the streets. One day he saves Simone from a brutal beating by her sister. In order to prevent her from getting arrested he tells the police they are married. So begins the romance which is the centerpiece of the film. They live together in his attic garret, looking down on the streets in stark contrast to his sewer job. The neighbors include an amateur astrologist with a hoard of cats and a friendly street cleaner. The scenes in the attic are allowed plenty of room to develop and are Capra-esque in their charm. Jimmy is drafted into the Army and the dreamy couple is separated. She becomes a nurse while he goes to the front. The ending is telegraphed home and seems rushed, one of the few disappoints in an otherwise very entertaining film.
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